Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae is the root of the plants in the genus Salvia in Labiatae family, is bitter in taste and a little cold, acting on the channels of heart and liver with the functions of stopping pain by removing stasis, activating blood flow and relieving restlessness by cleaning heart. Modern pharmacological investigations have showed that, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae has the effects of dilating coronary artery, improving micro-circulation and protecting heart, and is capable of inhibiting and removing platelet aggregation, increasing body's capability of anoxia tolerance and the activities of anti-hepatitis, anti-tumor and anti-virus etc. In 2001, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College reported that there were 13 phenolic acid compounds of water-soluble active constituents in Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae and the same genus plants, including salvianolic acid A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, lithospermic acid, rosmarinci acid and isosalvianolic acid C, etc. (Lianniang, Li et al. Bulletin of Medical Research, 2001, Vol. 30(7)), and the pharmacological action of these 13 phenolic acid compounds had also been disclosed. In 2002, Rena. Kasimu et al. reported the chemical structure of salvianolic acid K (Rena. Kasimu et al., Journal of Xinjiang Medical University, 2002, Vol. 25(3)). Foreign researchers have also studied on water-soluble active constituents of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae. In 1999, George Washington University had applied and finally been granted a US patent with respect to the effect of 13 salvianolic acid chemical structures on anti-HIV integrase and other viruses, suggesting that Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae is a medicinal plant resource which has great potential and is worth being developed.
Said salvianolic acid T of the present invention is just a novel compound that has been found in Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae in the process of massive screening. Up to now, the structure and pharmacological effects relevant to this compound have not yet been reported.